Chapter 5 ‘Mate’

MEIRA ASHFORD

Great. Just what I needed. The stranger from the forest, eyes like ice knives, standing there like he owns the place. Mr. Sherlock.

He looked… royal. The black frock coat, tailored to perfection with a hint of gold trimming, paired with neat formal trousers, and the way he carried himself like he owned the world. Maybe he was a palace guard, I told myself. But every instinct screamed otherwise. He wasn’t just a guard. He belonged inside the royal house. And the other night, he lied to me.

“You... jumping the fence?” His voice was calm and precise, but it carried the weight of authority. “Why risk your neck for… this?”

He spoke about the ceremony as if it wasn’t the very reason she-wolves starved themselves, all for the sake of looking perfect in their gowns.

“I don’t know and don’t care about the prince.”

“You don’t have to pretend you don’t care about the prince,” he said, that same smirk curling on his lips, the one I could still remember from the night before. “You probably heard all sorts of fascinating things and couldn’t resist risking your life just to get a proper look at him.”

I frowned a little. Why had he lied about being a traveler? I couldn’t stop the thought from creeping in.

“Hmmm… I just want to feel normal, Mr. Sh…” The name almost slipped off my tongue, but I caught it just in time.

“I don’t care about the prince,” I added quickly, tossing my hands up. “Trust me, I’m not the type to get all fascinated by… all this.”

“Are you sure about that, young lady?” His eyes roamed over me, sharp and scrutinizing, like he was trying to read every thought I’d ever had.

His gaze flicked over my boobs for a nanosecond before sliding away, but just that brief look sent a jolt straight through me.

“I… don’t know the prince,” I said quickly. “Why would I risk my life for someone I’ve never met?”

He raised a brow. “Yet you climb anyway.”

I shrugged, trying not to sound defensive. “For the thrill. And maybe curiosity. And okay… maybe because I like breaking rules.”

He smirked, a faint curl of amusement that made my skin crawl. “Dangerous hobbies for a lady.”

“You don’t seem afraid,” he added, almost like an observation, not a question.

“Afraid of what?” I replied, letting my hands rest lightly on the fence. “Of the royal pack catching me? That’s… standard risk assessment. Totally normal.”

A sudden rustle, a clang of metal. Guards were approaching. They were moving fast toward us; my heartbeat felt like it was trying to escape its ribcage.

“Stop!” one barked, grabbing me.

Before they could touch me, Mr. Sherlock’s voice rang out, low and commanding. “Back off.”

The guards froze. They didn’t move. Didn’t raise a weapon. But his presence was enough. They hesitated, looking at each other, then stepped back.

He definitely wasn’t just a guard. Was he the prince? No, that’s not possible, I thought.

I blinked at him. “Uh… thanks,” I muttered, unsure if I sounded brave or ridiculous.

“You shouldn’t be here,” he said, calm but firm.

‘How did he know that?’ Roxy said my exact thoughts in my head.

I let my gaze wander over his outfit. He didn’t know me. Couldn’t know me. Not yet. Did he realize I was the cursed hybrid hiding behind this ridiculous mask? Definitely not. He’d react differently. Probably… horribly.

The sharp sound of boots on stone cut through the tension.

Alpha King.

“What’s going on here? Guards!”

Mr. Sherlock glanced toward the approaching shadow, then back at me. “She leaves. Now.”

The Alpha King’s eyes swept over us, stopping on me. “Out! Do not overstep.”

The guards grabbed my arms, rough and unyielding. Panic surged. My heart raced.

Then a voice, soft, low, and familiar, cut through the chaos.

'Mate.'

My stomach twisted. My knees weakened. It was Roxy, my wolf. She had spoken again.

Everything else froze. The guards’ strength faltered; the Alpha King’s orders blurred into background noise. All that existed was that single word, vibrating deep inside me.

I struggled slightly, almost instinctively, but my voice caught behind the mask. “Did… did you just...”

Mr. Sherlock glanced at me, tension flickering in his expression. His hands loosened just a fraction. His gaze stayed fixed on me. It was unreadable.

Was my mate one of the guards? I got a mate?! The pull was towards Mr. Sherlock, and the intoxicating scent too. I was more than confused. What was happening to me?

The Alpha King barked again, and the world tried to force itself back into order, but the word inside me, mate resonated louder than any command.

I didn’t understand it. I didn’t want to. But it made something inside me flare and awaken. Something alive that had waited too long.

The guards tried again. Hands gripped my arms, pulling me toward the exit. My boots scraped the stone.

“Wait,” Mr. Sherlock said sharply. “Let her go.”

The guards hesitated, one of them daring a glance at the Alpha King. His eyes, wide and uncertain, found the king’s for guidance. But the Alpha King only waved them on with an impatient gesture.

Then Mr. Sherlock’s gaze flicked to me. His expression softened, though his blue eyes were still hard, unreadable. He didn’t touch me. Didn’t help. But somehow, he had slowed everything down.

I swallowed hard, fighting the heat of adrenaline and the shock of Roxy’s voice in my mind. This was real. I had a wolf. And she had just said the word I didn’t dare to hope for.

The Alpha King’s voice boomed again, snapping me out of my stupor. “Move her! Out! Now!”

Hands on my arms dragged me back. I stumbled, catching the fence with one hand, shivering, glancing over my shoulder. The stranger, Mr. Sherlock, whoever he truly was, watched. His expression didn’t change, but I thought I saw the tiniest twitch of… recognition? Confusion?

And then Roxy spoke again, inside my mind this time, insistent and soft:

“Mate.”

Mr. Sherlock stayed there, framed in the moonlight, as the guards took me toward the exit. Blue eyes never left mine, sharp and impossible to read. And though I didn’t understand it fully, I knew our story hadn’t ended.

It had just begun.